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Need some ideas for second seat since they are discontinued

First post here, although I've owned my Magic 14.5 solo for about 2 years now.

My boat is rigged primarily for fly fishing the Florida Space coast lagoon flats.
I have no foot pads and everything forward of the seat is completely empty
for stripping fly line.

Recently my daughter has been asking to go fishing with me and I was dismayed
to find out that not only has the Magic been discontinued but that there seems to
be no parts inventory for it. So I am unable to purchase a second seat.

I've been trolling around for some ideas and I'm hoping I can get some from
you Magic owners:

1) If I got an standard aftermarket kayak seat would the seat be too low
sitting on the magic deck for comfortable paddling?

2) My other idea was an aluminum framed canoe seat like these:

Again the issue is how whether it will be too low. I'm thinking maybe building
a short platform out of starboard scraps and PVC and somehow strapping the chair
in place.

Is there anyway a 1st Class seat from the Ultimate be somehow converted to
fit on the magic? I was thinking maybe completely removing the pan and
fabricating a frame out of aluminum flat stock that would then slide under
the clips (I have the new style slider clips system).

Depending on the age of your daughter the Larry Chair might work, though it's 10" high.
Another option might be to mount a jon boat seat to ply. Either could be attached by buckle straps to the Plug n Play bars.

Depending on the age of your daughter the Larry Chair might work, though it's 10" high.
Another option might be to mount a jon boat seat to ply. Either could be attached by buckle straps to the Plug n Play bars.

Thanks for the ideas, I looked at the Larry chair and it looks like it's too high. My daughter is 11 but very petite,
about the size of most 7-8 yr olds. But the idea is that I'd like to rig it up as a true tandem
not just for my daughter but my wife or teen boys as well. I suppose the other idea is to purchase
an Ultimate tandem but I've never liked the idea of a non-self bailing yak. And I do most
of my fishing standing up sight fishing, I can't figure out how anyone stands in the sponson wells
on the Ulti. This is why I chose the Magic in the first place, the execution of the design has had it's
problems but I wished Native would have continued working through them instead of abandoning the
design.

Any ideas on building a riser? Are the Plug and Play rails strong enough to support
hanging a seat from? As I understand it, this is what caused the cracks in the original
seating system and the reason for migrating to the clip design correct?

You're welcome Michael,
The Ultimates are quite comfortable and stable to stand in IMO. I use the non-slip pads to stand on.
Unfortunately the Magic wasn't marketed well, which may have led to meager sales. Most of the cracking at the riveted plug n play slots occurred toward the stern. If you didn't get the seat installed just right where the older seat style clips were supporting the users weight problems occurred. I would not devise anything that hung on the plug n play bars. The seat and user weight needs to rest fully on the hull floor.
PVC tubing could be used for a riser. If you spaced the cross sections to lie in the perpendicular floor grooves, having upright sections in the middle of the cross tubes, should give enough support for use with the GCI style seats in your post.
Hope this helps,
Philip

There was a Magic seat posted on the Bayou Coast forum out of LA, and was still available as of 01/14/2012. Don't know if he'd be willing to ship but it might be worth a shot. Link: http://www.bckfc.org...c-Seat-for-Sale

The Ultimates are quite comfortable and stable to stand in IMO. I use the non-slip pads to stand on.

Unfortunately the Magic wasn't marketed well, which may have led to meager sales. Most of the cracking at the riveted plug n play slots occurred toward the stern. If you didn't get the seat installed just right where the older seat style clips were supporting the users weight problems occurred. I would not devise anything that hung on the plug n play bars. The seat and user weight needs to rest fully on the hull floor.

PVC tubing could be used for a riser. If you spaced the cross sections to lie in the perpendicular floor grooves, having upright sections in the middle of the cross tubes, should give enough support for use with the GCI style seats in your post.

Hope this helps,
Philip

Philip,

The "PVC as cross members" idea sounds like it could be perfect. I could
control the riser height by size of the pvc. Thanks!
Looks like I have a project for the next "too windy to fish" day:)

There was a Magic seat posted on the Bayou Coast forum out of LA, and was still available as of 01/14/2012. Don't know if he'd be willing to ship but it might be worth a shot. Link: http://www.bckfc.org...c-Seat-for-Sale

Britain, thanks for the tip. I've never seen the "original" seats, but afaik it doesn't
have the seat pan correct? So it wouldn't work with my new style sliders?

i have seen pics of magics that the front seat they were using was a regular sit ontop seat. they just put down pad eyes to hook straps and support the back if you wanted it to sit higher you could velcro a foam block to the deck and put the seat on top of that. seem like you could buy a seat for the ultamate and cut the pan to make it work. would not be cheep but seems possible to me. good luck with it